student name myp personal project handbookweb.richmond.k12.va.us/portals/10/assets/pdfs/2012...

Student Name________________________

MYP Personal Project

Handbook 2012 - 2013 edition

The Personal Project is due on Friday, January 4, 2013

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Table of Contents

Time Line of Completion Dates page 3 Overview page 4

Introduction page 4 Aims page 4 What is a Personal Project? page 4 Process Journal page 7 Supervision of Your Personal Project page 9 Development of Personal Project page 9

Getting Started page 11 Personal Project Questionnaire page 11

Areas of Strength Worksheet page 12 Stages in the Process page 13

Step 1: Choosing the Topic/Theme page 14 Mind Map page 17 Project Aim page 19 Step 2: Planning the Project page 20 Step 3: Gathering the Necessary Material page 21

Research page 22 Step 4: Working on the Project page 23 Step 5: Presenting the Outcome page 23 Written Report Checklist page 27 Step 6: Assessment page 28 Criterion A: Process Journal page 29 Criterion B: Define the Goal page 30 Criterion C: Select Sources page 31

Criterion D: Apply Information page 32 Criterion E: Achieve the Goal page 33 Criterion F: Reflect on Learning page 34 Criterion G: Report the Project page 35 Final Grade for Personal Project page 36 Step 7: Oral Presentation of Project page 37

APPENDIX

Richmond Times Dispatch Article page 40 ABSTRACT page 42 SUPERVISOR CONTRACT page 43 PERSONAL PROJECT PROPOSAL page 46 Self & Peer Evaluation Rubrics page 50 Tips page 52 GUIDE TO WRITING THE PERSONAL STATEMENT page 53

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Time Line of Completion Dates

Kickoff April 23 - 27, 2012

Abstract –Brainstorm three possible ideas May 4, 2012

Supervisors Assigned May 10, 2012

Meeting with Supervisors and Parents May 15, 2012

Initial Meeting to discuss abstract ideas/

contract

May 21-25, 2012

Proposal Due May 30, 2012

Preliminary research – 4 sources June 4, 2012

Proposal revisions – NO changes to goal

after this date! No, don’t even think about

asking.

June 8, 2012

Implementation / Research Summer 2012

Supervisor / Student Meeting (2 per month) September 2012

September (date determined by supervisor

and student)

Supervisor / Student Meeting (2 per month) October 2012 (date determined by

supervisor and student)

Research bibliography due October 20, 2012

Product Due November 2, 2012

Supervisor / Student meeting for drafting

and revision of personal statement

No later than November 16, 2012

First draft of personal statement due No later than November 20, 2012

Draft Revisions December 2012

Presentation of personal project (product

and statement) to Supervisor*

No later than December 4, 2012

*If a student opts to report the project

through an alternate means, oral

presentations must be ready for

videotaping by December 10, 2012

Final draft of Personal Statement Due Friday, January 4, 2013

Presentations in class Week of January 14-18, 2013

Calibration (MYP Teachers) January 2013 @ LMB

Project scoring

(MYP Teachers)

January 2013 @ TJHS (grade recorded to

second nine weeks)

Expo February 2013

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Overview

Introduction

The personal project is a significant body of work produced over an extended period. It

is a product of your own initiative and should reflect your experience of the MYP. The

personal project holds a very important place in the programme. It provides an excellent

opportunity for you to produce a truly creative piece of work of your choice and to

demonstrate the skills you have learned in approaches to learning. The personal

project is made up of 1) a process journal, 2) an outcome or product, and 3) a

report.

It provides an opportunity for you to select a topic or theme about which you are

enthusiastic, and to show commitment to the completion of your own project. It is

designed to assess your ability to organize and create.

Aims

The aims of the personal project are to:

“Engage in personal inquiry on issues that are relevant to themselves, through

an area of interaction as a context for learning.

Demonstrate the skills, attitudes and knowledge required to complete a project

over an extended period of time.

Reflect on their learning and knowledge (on their own and with others)

Move towards thoughtful and positive action.

Develop confidence as lifelong learners.” (Personal Project Guide 4)

What is a Personal Project?

Have you ever wanted to build a guitar? Do you have a secret passion to write a play?

Now is your chance! The personal project is your project to do what you want to do, to

show the skills you have developed over the years in your subjects and through

approaches to learning, and to apply them to an area or topic on which you decide.

The personal project holds a place of special importance in the MYP, and thus it should

be closely linked to the areas of interaction. Remember, you will be working on this

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project for an extended period of time, and your grade for the personal project is as

important as any subject grade, so it needs to be something you really want to do.

There are a wide variety of choices you could consider, such as:

an original work of art (visual, dramatic, performance, etc.)

a written piece of work on a special topic (literary, social, psychological,

anthropological, etc.)

a piece of literary fiction (creative writing)

an original science experiment or career investigation (FBI training)

an invention or specially-designed object or system (computer game)

the presentation of a developed business, management, or organizational plan,

i.e. for an entrepreneurial business or project, a special event, or the

development of a new student or community organization.

Expectations

For the personal project, the student is expected to:

document progress

select a topic of personal interest and relevance

focus the project through an area of interaction

structure the personal project report according to the given information

respect word or time limits for the report

fulfill ethical and academic honesty requirements

(Personal Project Guide 14)

Your personal project should include a process journal, a product and a personal

statement in the form of a structured piece of writing, oral presentation complete with

visual support, or multi-media presentation that includes both written text and an audio-

visual component. Whatever format you choose to report your project must include

evidence for all criteria B-F. Criterion G is used to assess the report itself as a means of

communication (Personal Project Guide 30).

Whatever form you decide on, your personal project should:

be directly linked to approaches to learning plus one other area of interaction

allow you to express a truly personal message

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be the result of your initiative, creativity and ability to organize and create

reflect your special interests, hobbies, special abilities, or concerns about

particular issues

deal with a topic or area to which you are committed.

Your personal project must not:

be something completed at the last minute.

destroy your personal and social life, nor interfere with your studies, even

though it will involve many hours of work.

be bound by any specific subject.

The personal statement should contain:

information on your choice of product and the production steps

the inspiration, research and influences guiding your work

a description of the various characteristics, aspects or components of your work

an account of the special challenges or difficulties you encountered and solutions

you chose

your own assessment of both the process and the product with regard to the

initial goal(s).

Your project may involve others (for example, directing a play, organizing an exhibition,

or starting a new student/community organization); remember, however, that your own

contribution must be central to the event, and clearly visible. It is your work which will

be assessed. Any project that involves a group of people must be approved during the

abstract proposal (before summer vacation). (See the Coordinator)

When you have your idea, you will be matched with a supervisor to advise you

throughout the project, meet with you on a regular basis and make sure you complete

the various stages of the project according to the deadlines set by the school. Your

supervisor will not do your thinking for you, but will help you plan and implement your

project. Meeting regularly and having open communication is very important to your

success. Check in on a weekly basis with your supervisor, especially in the fall during

the implementation and reporting stages of your project. You may choose to meet by

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email, in person, or by telephone. What helps is meeting regularly and frequently. Your

supervisor need not necessarily be an expert in what you want to do, but will be able to

guide and help you as needed. You may decide with your supervisor to have another

person, a mentor, from outside who can give you more expert help.

Process Journal

This is a journal which you are required to use to record your progress as you

work on the project. The process journal is a particularly useful tool because it

helps in the organization of the structured piece of writing, an important part of

the project.

Your supervisor will use parts of this journal to assess the progress of your personal

project (assessment criterion A). You will turn in your process journal along

with your product in January of 2013.

It should be updated regularly during the development of the project, and should be

used to record progress honestly, containing thoughts, ideas, decisions, feelings and

reflections.

The process journal should not be redone as a “good copy” since it should reflect

changes, doodles, notes in the margin, pictures, ideas, reminders, drawings material

samples, etc.

It need not be neat or well presented, but should be honestly filled in regularly to

show you how your project is developing.

You will use this in discussions with your supervisor to show the rate and direction of

progress being made.

Organize your process journal to include mind maps, charts,

etc.

Each time that you work on the personal project you should spend the last five or

ten minutes writing up your journal.

You should use it to reflect on what you have achieved, feelings of success or

breakthroughs, any obstacles or problems encountered, how you might have

overcome them and what you need to do next.

A typical journal entry might look like this:

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6 July 2008

I went to the museum today and talked to the Director about Bronze Age settlements in Vietnam. She took me

to the room with the Bronze Age exhibits and explained the significance of the Dong Son drums. She also lent

me two books about Bronze Age cultures in south-east Asia. I then spent an hour sketching the two largest

drums. This was a great afternoon and I was really able to get renewed inspiration for my project work.

Over the next week I need to read the books and take notes from them, before returning them to the museum.

I also think it might be a good idea to write to the museum in Hoi An to see what Bronze Age exhibits they

have.

The Process Journal Is . .. The Process Journal Is NOT. . .

“Begun at the very start of the process

and used throughout the process

A place for planning

A place for recording interactions with

sources, for example, teachers,

supervisors, external contributors

A place for storing useful information

– quotes, pictures, ideas

A means of exploring ideas

A place for reflection on stages of the

project

A place for evaluating work completed

and a place for reflecting on learning

Devised by the student in a format

that suits his or her needs

Useful for the student when receiving

formative feedback

Used by the student to produce the

project report

Used on a daily basis (unless this is

useful for the student)

Written up after the process has been

completed

Additional work on top of the project;

it is part of and supports the project

A diary with detailed writing about

what was done

A static document with only one

format.”


Your process journal will be assessed using Criterion A. Evaluators will look for

evidence in the process journal that shows:

Personal goal setting and a plan of action

Use of relevant materials

Meeting with supervisor

Productive use of meeting time

A record of sources consulted

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Supervision of your Personal Project

In order to assist you with successfully completing the personal project, you will be

assigned a teacher supervisor. The supervisor will:

guide you on how to complete the personal project successfully

make positive, constructive oral and written comments at each stage

make a final assessment of the project according to the MYP criteria (see this

booklet)

ensure that the project is authentic and entirely your own work, and that the

information is adequately referenced.

The aim of the first meeting is to help you focus on the exact nature and goal of the

personal project, and to finalize your proposed topic. Go to it prepared.

You are responsible for setting up the schedule of meetings with your supervisor and

keeping a record of what takes place, in your process journal. If you miss a meeting you

will need to find the teacher to rearrange it. If your supervisor is constantly reminding

you of deadlines and requirements, this will be reflected in Criteria A & E. You, the

student, should be taking initiative to make contact and meet deadlines, not your

supervisor.

Development of the Personal Project

(Based on Deadlines from page 3)

1: Complete the ABSTRACT and turn it in to the coordinator.

2: Be assigned a SUPERVISOR. Complete the supervisor / student contract (see

Appendix)

3: Begin keeping a PROCESS JOURNAL. Keep your process journal in a large, 3-

rinded binder. In that binder include a section for your process journal, this manual,

and your research, and any other documentation of your project.

4: Brainstorm and decide on a topic, area of interaction and complete the PERSONAL

PROJECT PROPOSAL. (See Appendix)

5: Revise your proposal as necessary before the deadline.

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6. Conduct research and document your sources.

7: Complete your PRODUCT that demonstrates that you have used your knowledge

and skills in a creative, individual and appropriate way. Your product may be a (an):

Demonstration Video Event

Lab Experiment Mural Simulation

Original Music Website Speech

Prototype Performance Model

Original Writing Photo Game

Craft Design Club

Program Improvement Original Creation right from your

imagination!

8: Write your PERSONAL STATEMENT. Reflect on the entire process. See the guide

and your rubrics for specific instructions concerning the contents and evaluation of the

statement. (The final grade from the personal project comes from what you write in the

Personal Statement.)

9: PRESENT your product and personal statement to your supervisor and to your

classmates.

10: Celebrate and show off your hard work at the EXPO.

** Through all of these activities, you should add to your process journal.

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Getting Started

Personal Project Introductory Questionnaire The personal project requires you to take charge of your learning by research &/or investigation which leads to the creation of a project of your choice. The following questionnaire is designed to help you work out what areas you might be interested in pursuing.

1. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

2. What are some of your hobbies or interests?

3. What are some if the things you do really well?

4. What would you like to be better at?

5. When it comes to writing, what types of writing do you most enjoy and why? What types of assignments to you least enjoy and why?

6. Think about your school and wider community. Is there any aspect of your community (or even your country or a specific part of the world) that really infuriates you or makes you question how things are done? Is there anything specific in your life which has made a great impact on you or your life? Could you do anything to change or help this? Is there some way of linking this to a project for which you could do some investigation and then take action? This could be the beginning of your personal project journey.

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Areas of Strength

Try to define your relative strengths and weaknesses and think of your areas of strength in the

Multiple Intelligences. Mark on the scales below how you think you rate for each characteristic,

with 1 being relatively poor and 5 relatively good:

Written work (journaling, narrative,

essays, letters)

l____________l_____________l______________l____________l

1 2 3 4 5

Mathematical (number smarts, prefer reasoning, like logic or math problems)

l____________l_____________l______________l____________l

1 2 3 4 5

Practical tasks (being

realistic, keeping on task, thinking ahead, organizing materials & space)

l____________l_____________l______________l____________l

1 2 3 4 5

Artistic Expression (crafts, drawing, designing, creating)

l____________l_____________l______________l____________l

1 2 3 4 5

Physical tasks (working with hands, athletic/dance activities)

l____________l_____________l______________l____________l

1 2 3 4 5

Dramatic Expression

l____________l_____________l______________l____________l

1 2 3 4 5

Organization (being orderly, methodical, neat, systematic, efficient, logical)

l____________l_____________l______________l____________l

1 2 3 4 5

Oral Presentations & Public speaking

l____________l_____________l______________l____________l

1 2 3 4 5

Favorite subject

_____________________________________________________________

_______________

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Stages in the Process

STEP 3

Gather Material

STEP 2

Planning

STEP 4

Work on Project

STEP 5

Presenting Outcome

STEP 1

Choose Topic

P

R

O

C

E

S

S

J

O

U

R

N

A

L

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Step 1: Choosing the Topic/Theme and Approach

Any project will involve an important phase of investigation/research. When you are choosing

your topic/theme and your approach, you must remember that the personal project is your way

of demonstrating your understanding of the areas of interaction; you must therefore choose a

suitable topic/theme and approach which allow you to do this.

You should discuss ideas with different people, both inside and outside the school, to help you to

focus on precisely what you are going to do.

It is also important that you have a discussion with your supervisor on your choice to see

whether or not your intentions are realistic. This may be the first time you have undertaken a

piece of significant independent investigation. You should realize that your supervisor is not

looking for work of university standard; rather, this is an opportunity for you to demonstrate such

things as the approach you are taking, the methods you are using, and your ability to link your

project to an area of interaction.

Your topic/theme should not be too general, nor must it be one which would lead you to

paraphrase or summarize what you have read in a book, in an encyclopedia, or on the Internet.

It should rather be a topic/theme that you truly want to explore, and that will allow you to reflect

on ideas which are closely linked to the areas of interaction.

Examples of successful projects include:

Teaching English in the Hispanic Community

Following the care of a pre-mature infant over several months in the NICU

Chronicling several decades of American history through music

Creating a fashion magazine with international influences

Creating a video game

Writing a book for children or young adults

It is crucial that you keep the goal(s) of your personal project in mind continuously and

remember your specifications for your successful project.

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Choosing the Topic You will need to:

1. focus your personal project on a topic that interests you,

2. be realistic about your project’s aim and scope,

3. use a medium (e.g. writing, music, etc.) you feel confident about, and

4. relate the project to approaches to learning and one other area of interaction.

Circle your two favorite ideas and, in the boxes below, write them down, the areas of interaction

that could be covered, and how:

Topic Brainstorm – list the things in life, at school, from your home country, etc. that interest and

engage you, e.g.

issues such as abortion, death penalty, etc

topics such as pollution or politics

ideas such as communism or imperialism.

activities such as volunteering, athletics, performing arts(music, dance, drama)

Idea 1: _______________________ Area(s) of interaction & how related to topic:

_______________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

Idea 2: _______________________ Area(s) of interaction & how related to topic:

______________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

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Pollution in River

toxic household products

Thames

Water Pollution

POLLUTION

Choosing the Topic continued….

Once you have identified a couple of possible topics, you will need to narrow the

focus to something more manageable. Two basic ways of doing this might be:

1. Briefly research the topic and write down

the major features, then order them in

terms of size of focus or hierarchy.

Toxic household waste

in water

2. Brainstorm using the ‘mapping’ or ‘web’ technique. You might use

Inspiration software or complete a chart like this:

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Complete a mind map like the one below to brainstorm possible areas of interest, AOI, and potential products:

18

Next, get specific about how you will address your topic and the chosen area of interaction.

Topic Goal of Personal

Project

Specifications Process Outcome or

Product

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Project Aim

Write up the aim of your project. The aim should be a broad statement about what you hope to achieve

with the project or it could be a set of guiding questions. Including specifications for your project is of

critical importance. Your proposal must include these. No projects will be approved without a list of

specifications. (Refer to criteria B and E) These specifications will help you and others determine the

success of your outcome.

Aim (what you are trying to achieve with your project?)

What specifications must your project meet?

My project will be successful if: (Be specific!)

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

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Planning the Project

The next part of the process is to plan the steps toward completing your personal

project. You should write an outline of your main ideas, guided by a statement of your

aim, as discussed with your supervisor. The purpose of the outline is to:

define the investigation

help in the choice of appropriate sources/materials.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Where do I find the necessary material?

Who has information about my topic? (people are great resources and can give

you specific answers to questions you may have)

Do I have to carry out my own experiments?

Do I need to prepare, circulate and analyze a questionnaire or survey?

Do I need to go to libraries other than the school library?

Do I need to visit any museums or organizations?

Do I need to interview experts in the field? Consider finding a mentor to

help with technical support on completing your project.

You should write down these questions, and others, along with the answers, as a way of

reminding yourself of the variety of potential sources. It is only by looking at a variety of

sources that you can make a judgment about their relative usefulness. After checking

with your supervisor that you have investigated all the options, you should make a list of

tasks so that you can collect the necessary material. You will need to consider the order

in which these tasks will have to be undertaken. Keep notes of all of this in your

process journal. You are also required to produce an outline of your project. You must

include a plan of action steps that you will take in order to achieve your goal and meet

all of your specifications.

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Gathering the Necessary Material

At this stage you will need to start locating and selecting information related to your project. If

your personal project will be a written paper, the research process will be more in depth. For

students making a product, they will need to conduct research to provide background

information and a context for their project. Locating and selecting materials will be two of

the major tasks listed in your time plan. Once your list of sources is complete, start gathering the

material. Remember that producing any type of project is not usually a neat process; it may be

messy and involve changes in your plans, especially in the developmental stages.

When you have found a source of information and/or inspiration, you will have to decide how

useful it is. The list of sources in your report should only include those you have actually used.

Remember, people who are experts in their field can prove to be a wealth of

information and an invaluable resource for you during this project. You can include

interviews or questionnaires from these people as corroboration to your other research.

Reminder: Keep the aim of your project in mind. This will help you to select what is useful and

relevant (Criterion C: Select Sources).

Always write down the source of your material. This information will vary according to the type of

source consulted.

a book: record the author(s), title, edition, series, bibliographical address

(city, editor, date).

an interview: record the name, address, function of the person, etc.

an experiment: record the set-up, circumstances, etc.

a work of art: record the name, artist, reference (museum, recording, etc.).

The school library also has a very useful handout on compiling a bibliography or list of sources. It

is good idea to start doing this properly. Use MLA format from 2009 for your bibliography. A

good source of information about this format is http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/search.php

This online resource has examples to show you how the necessary formatting looks.

Reminder: The failure to properly acknowledge sources of information is considered to be

plagiarism and is a form of cheating. Students proven to have cheated in their work, risk not

having it graded. If in any doubt about what to do, speak to your supervisor.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/search.php

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Other sources can also help you: a book might have a bibliography, mentioning other

useful books; the person you interview might have a suggestion to investigate something else; an experiment might lead to other investigations.

Research

Good researchers keep meticulous records. Use your grammar

text books for information on creating source cards and note cards. Your grammar text contains entire chapters on this process, and you

need to use the wisdom from that book. You have several deadlines pertaining to research. First, you need to conduct some preliminary

research once you have chosen your topic. Work with your supervisor to determine appropriate sources of information and then seek out

those resources. WIKIPEDIA IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE SOURCE FOR SCHOLARLY RESEARCH.

Make a resource card for each source and make note cards to

keep your information organized. You will use these later on when you

write your personal statement. Write down all pertinent information including basic bibliographic information, page numbers, and be sure

to label each note card with the corresponding number from the source card. Your preliminary research (minimum of four sources) is

due on June 4, 2012. You must show these source cards to your supervisor. You will use these sources to document your research in

the body of your personal statement.

Then, you can begin to compile your bibliography in MLA (2009)

format. You may use The Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th ed.) and the MLA Style Manual and Guide for Scholarly Publishing (3rd

ed.) The Purdue OWL website is updated to include this format. Your bibliography of sources is due to your supervisor by October 18, 2012.

It is a vital part of your personal statement. You may change your bibliography after October 18, but you must have it formatted to show

to your supervisor by then.

For detailed information on how to format your paper, complete parenthetical citation, and compile a bibliography, consult your packet

from the Purdue OWL or the website at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/747/

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/747/

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Working on the Project Throughout the project ensure that you are following the process below.

1. Reflect and Analyze

Where are you in relation to your aim? Timeline? Has new information/research changed your approach?

2. Constructively Critique

What roadblocks have you encountered? How have you worked through these challenges? What have you accomplished so far that you are most proud of?

3. Act Your Personal Project is a work in progress. You are encouraged

to use your reflection, analysis, and critique to adjust and make changes to your work.

Remember to meet regularly with your supervisor and to manage your time so that all deadlines are met.

Presenting the Outcome

Your personal project is evaluated on the process you went through to create it. In

order to make the evaluators understand the process, you must detail it thoroughly in

your Personal Statement. This is an extremely important part of how the

Personal Project is graded.

Towards the end of the project you will need to think carefully about how you should

present it. You must always consider your presentation from other people’s

perspectives; remember that you and the school will exhibit the outcome in February.

The nature of the contents will vary depending on the type of personal project;

however, all projects must include a structured piece of writing. Your personal

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statement should include a critical reflection on the choice, development and

completion of the personal project, and on its links to the areas of interaction.

These links should, of course, be evident throughout the project (e.g. essay, art work,

or special event), but your statement will allow you to step back from the product itself

and develop your thoughts in relation to the areas of interaction.

For my report of my project, I choose to:

o Write a report

o Deliver an oral presentation

o Create a multi-media presentation

Remember that any structured piece of writing (including oral presentations

and multi-media presentations) should include the following sequential

elements:

Title Page (Title, author, date, supervisor’s name, signed pledge)

Table of Contents (with Roman numerals, page numbers and appendices)

Introduction

Define goal of project.

Areas of interaction chosen as focus.

Outline of how you intend to achieve goal.

Description of the Process

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Include all the steps you followed in gathering information and

compiling ideas.

Main Body of Work (double space, 12 point font)

If you chose to write an essay, this section is the essay itself.

If you did not write an essay, this section should include an

analysis of the inspiration, research and any influence guiding

your work. It should also include the findings and decisions you

made, the resulting product, and how it all

related to your goals and chosen areas of interaction.

REMEMBER TO CITE YOUR RESEARCH WITHIN THE WRITING OF YOUR PAPER OR

PERSONAL STATEMENT (parenthetical documentation). Use MLA format.

Conclusion

You should reflect on the impact of your project and any new

perspectives you might consider.

Bibliography Use MLA format (2009).

Appendices

The appendix is where you can display pictures and samples that

will inform the reader of your paper about the materials used, and

the process that you went through to create your final product.

Useful Ideas

Always assume that the people who look at your project know little or nothing

about the topic.

Use drawings and pictures only when necessary, for example, if they add to the

clarity of the personal project.

Access to a computer would be very helpful as you write your personal project,

making it easier to edit a draft version and produce a neat, easy-to-read product.

Remember to save your work and keep back-up copies.

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It will be helpful to discuss the final form you propose to use with your supervisor before you start work on it, and also to ask other students for their opinions. Only choose a form if you have access to the necessary materials to work in that form. Remember, however, that your personal project is your piece of work. You and your supervisor will decide on a timeline for submitting drafts of your report. However, a general timeline follows: October-November 1 Creating first draft November Drafting and revisions with Supervisor December Presentation of Statement and Product to Supervisor January Presentations of final personal statement

???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? Reflection Connection

What questions do I have about the personal project?

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REPORT CHECKLIST

This is a sample checklist identifying key aspects that should be included in

your report, regardless of format – written report, oral presentation or other

format. Keep referring to sections of your Process Journal.

___ Is the Personal Statement at least 1,500 words, excluding the Table of

Contents and Reference pages? And no longer than 3,500 words?

____ Is the Personal Statement neatly typed in 12-point Times New

Roman font?

____ Is there a TITLE PAGE with the student’s name, title of the project,

date, supervisor’s name, word count, and school name and title of the

project? Is the HONOR PLEDGE signed on the front of the paper?

____ Does the Personal Statement have a TABLE of CONTENTS?

____ Does the REFERENCE PAGE follow MLA (2009) rules?

____ Are all references cited in the paper using MLA parenthetical

documentation? Is credit given in the paper to the appropriate

experts and authors?

___ Is there a bibliography in the appropriate format?

____ Is the report organized into appropriate sections including The Goal,

Selection of Sources, Application of Information, Achieving the

Goal, and Reflection on Learning?

____ Does the student begin with clearly describing the goal of the

project & how he/ she achieved the purpose? (Criterion B: 4

points) Are specifications included?

____ Does the student explain how the topic is tied to an Area of

Interaction? Is this explanation in depth and detailed?

____ Does the report explain how the student became interested in the

topic and why it was a meaningful experience?

____ Does the report describe obstacles that the student experienced and

how the student overcame them?

____ Does the report contain sufficient, relevant information and

resources from a variety of appropriate sources? (Criteria C &

D:4 points each). Are they cited within the text of the report?

____ Does the report show how the student made decisions based on

research and applied information to reaching the goal of the

project? (D)

____ Does the report display sustained relevance throughout in terms of its

goal? Are the techniques pertinent and effective for producing a high

quality project? (Criterion E: 4 points)

____ Does the student comprehensively review his personal project in

terms of the goal at its start and show an awareness of the

overall perspectives related to the chosen topic? (Criterion E)

____ Does the Personal Project show depth of reflection and vitality of

the student’s own ideas and vision? (Criterion F: 4 points)

____ Does it show reflection and a truly personal response to the topic?

(Criterion F: 4 points)

____ For oral presentations, is visual support included?

____ Does the student describe new questions that have emerged?

____ Does the report explain what the student would have done

differently?

____ Does the student identify and develop significant links in depth

to one Area of Interaction besides Approaches to Learning?

28

Assessment

The objectives of the personal project listed below relate directly to the assessment

criteria. (Each criterion is explained in detail on the following pages). Your Personal Project will be evaluated on each of these criteria.

The following Assessment Criteria A – G have been established by the International Baccalaureate Organization for the personal project in the Middle Years Programme.

Criterion Category Evidence Maximum Points

A

Use the process journal

Process Journal

Maximum 4

B

Define the goal

Report

Maximum 4

C

Select sources

Report

Maximum 4

D

Apply information

Report

Maximum 4

E

(non-moderated)

Achieve the goal

Product and Report

Maximum 4

F

Reflect on learning

Report

Maximum 4

G

Report the project

Report

Maximum 4

Total 28 (Personal Project Guide 35)

29

Criterion A: Use the process journal

Maximum 4

Achievement Level

Level Descriptor

0

The student has not reached a standard described by any of the

descriptors given below.

1

The student demonstrates minimal: Organizational skills through time and self-

management

Communication and collaboration with the

supervisor

Information literacy, thinking and reflection

2

The student demonstrates some: Organizational skills through time and self-management

Communication with the supervisor


3

The student demonstrates satisfactory:

Organizational skills through time and self-management

Communication and collaboration with the supervisor

Information literacy, thinking and reflection Organizational

skills through time and self-management

4

The student demonstrates well-developed:

Organizational skills through time and self-management

Communication and collaboration with the supervisor


30

Criterion B: Define the Goal

Maximum: 4

Students should:

identify and explain a topic based on personal interest

justify one focus area of interaction as a context for the project

outline a clear, achievable, challenging goal

create specifications that will be used to evaluate the project’s outcome/product

Level of Achievement Descriptor

0

The student has not reached a standard described by any of the descriptors given below.

1

The student:

identifies the topic of interest, a focus area of interaction and a limited goal

creates minimal specifications to evaluate the project’s outcome/product or none at all.

2

The student:

outlines superficially the topic of interest, the focus area of interaction and an achievable goal

creates specifications for evaluating the project’s outcome/product, however they lack definition.

3

The student:

describes clearly the topic of interest, the focus area of interaction and an achievable and appropriately challenging goal

creates satisfactory specifications for evaluating the project’s outcome/product.

4

The student:

justifies effectively the topic of interest, the focus area of interaction and an achievable and appropriately challenging goal

creates appropriately rigorous specifications for evaluating the project’s outcome/product.

31

Criterion C: Select Sources

Maximum: 4

Students should:

select varied, relevant sources to achieve the goal

evaluate sources.

Evidence will be seen in the body of the report and the bibliography.


0


1

student:

selects very few relevant sources to achieve the goal

demonstrates minimal evaluation of sources.

2

The student:

selects some relevant sources to achieve the goal

demonstrates some evaluation of sources.

3

The student:

selects a satisfactory variety of relevant sources to achieve the goal

demonstrates satisfactory evaluation of sources.

4

The student:

selects a wide variety of relevant sources to achieve the goal

demonstrates well-developed evaluation of sources.

32

Criterion D: Apply Information

Maximum: 4

Students should:

transfer and apply information to make decisions, create solutions and develop understandings in connection with the project’s goal.

Level of Achievement

Descriptor

0

The personal project is an unimaginative treatment of the topic/theme and

contains no reflection.

1

The student demonstrates minimal:

transfer and application of information to make decisions, create solutions and develop understandings in connection with the project’s goal.

2

The student demonstrates some:


3



4



33

Criterion E: Achieve the Goal

Maximum: 4

Students should:

evaluate the outcome/product against their own specifications for success.

The final level awarded is decided in collaboration with the supervisor.


0


1

The student evaluates the quality of the outcome/product.

The outcome/product is of very limited quality and meets few of the specifications.

2


The outcome/product is of limited quality and meets some of the specifications.

3


The outcome/product is of satisfactory quality and meets many of the specifications.

4


The outcome/product is of high quality and meets most or all of the specifications.

34

Criterion F: Reflect on Learning

Maximum: 4

Students should:

reflect on how completing the project has extended their knowledge and understanding of the topic and the focus area of interaction

reflect on how they have developed as a learner by completing the project.

This criterion addresses the quality of ideas expressed not the quality of language used.


0


1

The student demonstrates minimal:

reflection on how completing the project has extended his or her knowledge and understanding of the topic and focus area of interaction

reflection on how he or she has developed as a learner by completing the project.

2

The student demonstrates some:



3




4




35

Criterion G: Report the Project

Maximum: 4

Students should:

organize the project report according to the required structure

communicate clearly, coherently and concisely, within required limits

acknowledge sources according to recognized conventions.

This criterion will include judgments about presentation, writing (or speaking) conventions, mechanics, grammar, word choice, voice, audience, for example.

Level of Achievement

Descriptor

0 The student has not reached a standard described by any of the descriptors given below.

1 The student demonstrates:

minimal organization of the project report according to the required structure

communication, which is rarely clear, coherent and concise and may not

meet required limits

inaccurate use of recognized conventions to acknowledge sources or no acknowledgement of sources.


some organization of the project report according to the required structure

communication, which is sometimes clear, coherent and concise and is

within required limits

some accurate use of recognized conventions to acknowledge sources.


satisfactory organization of the project report according to the required

structure

communication, which is generally clear, coherent and concise and is

within required limits

generally accurate use of recognized conventions to acknowledge

sources.


consistent organization of the project report according to the required

structure

communication, which is clear, coherent and concise and is within required limits

accurate use of recognized conventions to acknowledge sources, possibly

with minor errors.

36

Grades for the Personal Project

Students will receive an extra grade for completing the personal project proposal (100 points if turned in on time by May 30, 2012 in English, Math, Science and Humanities). Students will also receive an extra completion grade for turning in their personal project product by November 2, 2012 (100 points if on time in English, Math, Science and Humanities). Students are encouraged to meet their deadlines and be on time for the proposal and the product. If a student misses a deadline, the student must participate in mandatory afterschool sessions until the work is completed. Points will be deducted from the final score for late reports (January deadline). Parent signature __________________________ Student signature _________________________ Students will receive valuable feedback from their peers on the presentations made in class as well as completing a self-assessment of the overall learning experience. The final assessment of your personal statement will be determined by a panel of calibrated teacher scorers. Panels of MYP teachers will assess each personal project on the assessment criteria (A-D, F-G) and use as evidence the contents of the personal statement. Scores for Criterion E: Achieve the Goal will be determined by the student in collaboration with the supervisor. Scores for Criteria A-G will then be converted to an IB 1-7 scale. These scores will determine the final grade for the project. For the RPS score for the project, the IB 1-7 score will be converted using the following scale:

IB Score RPS Score

7 100

6 93

5 86

4 79

3 72

2 65

1 58

The RPS grade for the Personal Statement will be recorded as a test grade for the second nine weeks in all MYP Year 5 classes. After the project is scored according to IB criteria, points will be deducted from the RPS score for late reports. Deductions of seven points per day, including holidays and weekends, will be assessed. Please be on time with this significant body of work.

Remember that the emphasis of this project was on the process of

researching, not just the end result of what you produced. While you may have created an amazing product, if your Personal Statement did

not reflect the process you went through to complete your project, your grade will reflect it.

37

The rubrics for self and peer evaluations are located in the appendix of this handbook. They are based on the criteria that teachers will use

for grading the projects, listed as Criteria A-G in this handbook (pages 29-35).

It is important to remember the process of the project and how it is

expressed in the Personal Statement. There is danger in just focusing

on the product, or “thing” you design, organize or make. Remember this is a research process, much like the design cycle, and must be

recorded as such. This is why the Process Journal is a vital piece of the process.

Presentation

Soon after you complete your project, you will be asked to present it for your classmates in a MYP class. You will need to prepare a 5 minute presentation (with notecards). For those of you who choose to report by oral presentation, this is a simplified, shorter version of your presentation. You need to rehearse this presentation with your supervisor in December before you turn in your personal statement. Below you will find some guidelines for your presentation:

State your name, topic and purpose.

Explain why you chose this topic. Describe your goal, and explain how you achieved your purpose.

Discuss which AOI you used and how it is connected to your topic.

Discuss the primary and secondary sources used to gain information.

Discuss the impact gained from the Personal Project experience.

How was it meaningful to you? Explain. Describe any obstacles you experienced during the process and

how your resolved them. Discuss what you learned from your research, and explain

whether the results were different or the same as you expected. (This is where you tell us about your project.)

State what additional information you would like to learn about this topic.

As you reflect on the process, what would you do differently next time?

What advice would you give a fellow student who is interested in this or a similar topic?

Be prepared with a visual of your project. It can be a brief video clip (if you made a movie), or pictures scanned into a

powerpoint, etc. Ask your MYP technology teacher for help, if

needed.

38

Your oral presentation to your supervisor is due no later than

December 4, 2012.

Your oral presentation in class will be done the week after you turn in your final draft of your personal statement on January 4, 2013.

39

APPENDIX

Tip:

Document your personal project journey with pictures. You can

include these in your appendix and presentation! The pictures will show THE PROCESS you went through for your project.

The process is what’s examined in the Personal Statement!

40

Students leave mark on projects

A school program challenges them to think big BY OLYMPIA MEOLA AND LINDSAY KASTNER TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITERS

Tia Lathon spends her Saturday afternoons working as a one-

woman campaign to teach English to Spanish-speaking immigrants.

She had only a few years of Spanish under her belt. She had no

teacher training. But she posted fliers, created worksheets and

set up shop at a public library in South Richmond.

And at 15, she's younger than most of her students."I wouldn't

say it was intimidating," said Lathon, who attends Richmond's Thomas Jefferson High School, "but I took it as a challenge."

Lathon is one of dozens of local students who -- as sophomores in the International Baccalaureate

Program offered by several area schools face a daunting school assignment to create a project of

personal importance.

Since April, Lathon says, she has had the opportunity to work with about 25 students in her English-as-second-language classes.

"I want them to feel welcome," Lathon said. "I believe it will bring unity and peace instead of this unintentional segregation."

Each student's personal project is a culminating body of work completed in the 10th grade. The objective is to show an understanding of instruction while focusing on a topic that interests the student.

IB students complete the project at the end of the Middle Years Program, which runs from sixth

through 10th grade. School systems that offer the full range of IB instruction start with the Primary

Years Program, for students 3 to 12 years old and finish with the Diploma Program for high school juniors and seniors.

The International Baccalaureate Program focuses on intercultural and global awareness and offers students an internationally recognized diploma.

The personal projects vary widely, each having a distinctive mark of the student's character.

Zach Kewer, now a junior in the IB program at Henrico High School, undertook an intensely personal

project. Selecting a topic came naturally for the athletic young man whose life was significantly marked by his father's battle with brain cancer.

"I wanted to do something on what affected my family in such a dramatic way," he said.

So, during Labor Day of 2004, Kewer mounted a bicycle and rode 160 miles. That's the distance from

VCU Medical Center to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore -- the places where his father received treatment.

Kewer, then 15, followed Rails to Trails Conservancy paths in Washington and raised roughly $20,000

For her International Baccalaureate personal project, Tia Lathon, 15, provides free English lessons to Spanish-speaking residents. DON LONG/TIMES-DISPATCH

http://ads.mgnetwork.com/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/timesdispatch.com/mgnetwork/education@Middle?x

41

for brain-cancer research. His father has since died, but Kewer still has the memories of how honored his dad was by the concept.

"[The project is] important for IB, but we take it personal around here," Kewer said. "It's something you really put your heart and soul into."

And because students take such individual approaches, projects range from inventions to special

events, works of art to science experiments.

Projects are judged locally by a panel of teachers and program administrators. Then, in order to ensure

that projects around the world are subject to similar standards, a school sends a sample of eight projects to an International Baccalaureate panel in Wales for evaluation.

Henrico County was the first public school system in the U.S. to offer a Middle Years Program

partnership. Sharon Pope, Henrico's IB programs specialist, said the projects show five years worth of

invested work and students "do something that touches their hearts."

Andrew Diakun said he doesn't consider himself a great student and has never really been excited by

school work. When it came time for the Henrico teen, now a junior, to choose a personal project, he found himself dreading the prospect. But the dread was trumped by determination.

Diakun aimed high. He had hoped to have a nationally recognized band with Richmond roots play a fundraiser, but he was unable to bring in the big-time band.

His plan B was still impressive. Diakun organized a 12-band Rock for Relief concert at Innsbrook

Pavilion. He secured sponsors, auditioned local bands, hired security and rented portable toilets, a sound system, tables, fencing, tents and stands. He said he raised $1,400 for the Red Cross.

Pope recalled watching Diakun's project come together. She remembers sitting in the auditorium one night as "bands came from all over the state to audition for this 10th-grader," she said.

Diakun's resolve to take on such an event taught him something about himself as well. "I'm not really

an amazing student, I just got really excited about this project," he said. "It did get me a little

motivated that maybe I can do stuff well and have a shot at getting into a good college."

The Richmond school system offers a Middle Years Program and next year will start a Diploma Program.

Chesterfield and Hanover counties offer pre-Diploma Programs for freshmen and sophomores and Diploma Programs that call for a project and accompanying essay.

Other projects that have been undertaken by local students in the Middle Years Program include

teaching baton twirling to inner-city children, writing a children's book of Vietnamese folk tales,

organizing a walk-a-thon to highlight obesity issues and making a documentary of personal stories from World War II.

Henrico sophomore Jason Sreedhar held an Indian classical dance concert a few weeks ago at Henrico

High School and raised about $2,000 for the Borgen Project, whose mission is to make poverty in this country and others the main priority of U.S. political leaders.

Henrico student Vinoo Gowda learned Kannada, an Indian dialect that her parents speak, for her

personal project last year. She said the assignments bring out each student's personality and interests.

"It shows the real themes of IB," she said, "the differences in people."

42

*IB-MYP Personal Project Abstract

Name____________________________________

State the topic of your Personal Project:

Which area of interaction will be

addressed?

Circle one:

Human Ingenuity

Health and Social Education

Community Service

Environments

(You may not use “Approaches to

Learning” as your focus without prior

approval)

Preference of Supervisor: (Circle

three) LMB Ms. Turner Ms. Smith Mr. Bird Ms. Booker Mrs. Britt Ms. Hayes Ms. Waller Ms. Macklin Ms. Kregel Mr. Craig

Mrs. Seaton Mr. Gill Mr. Idleman Mrs. Cordero TJHS Ms. Cartledge Mr. Young Mr. White Ms. Cifranic Mrs. Hughes Mrs. Harvey Ms. Cousins Mrs. Millner Other _______________________

CALENDAR OF DUE DATES

DESCRIPTION of PROJECT IDEA Theme or purpose:

(What’s your idea? What do you want to do? What is your goal?)

Product or Outcome: (Will you be making anything for your personal project? If so, describe it.)

Research:(What kind of background information, or context, will you need to include?)

Experts (Do you know anyone knowledgeable in your topic area that could help you?)

PLEASE SIGN HERE THAT YOU HAVE READ THE PERSONAL PROJECT HANDBOOK AND

UNDERSTAND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS PROJECT AND THE WAY IT IS SCORED.

Student________________________________________Date_______ Parent____________________________________Date_____

*THIS MUST BE RETURNED WITH A THREE-RING BINDER CONTAINING YOUR PROCESS JOURNAL by 5/18/2012. The three-ring binder should contain this handbook and your process journal (either a spiral notebook or blank paper in 3-ring binder section)

43

Students and Project Supervisors need to complete this by May 18, 2012.

Student Name____________________________________

Faculty Supervisor________________________________

Today’s Date________________________

I. Supervisors: Ask your personal project students the following questions to help

them articulate their ideas further.

I. Discuss the topic of the personal project. Is it manageable? Can it be

accomplished? Is it challenging? Is it the student’s passion and interest?

II. Which areas of interaction will be the focus of the project? How does the

student intend to use the AOIs?

III. What resources do you plan to use for you project?

IV. What resources do you still need? Research facilities? Community

agencies?

V. Have you begun your process journal? How often are you writing in it?

VI. What will your final product look like? Who is the audience?

Faculty Suggestions:

Student questions:

II. Communication Agreement

I, ___________________________ (student name) understand that it is my

responsibility to communicate with my supervisor. We will meet again on ________

(mutually set the date, time and place).

Exchange contact information (e-mail address, phone numbers, etc):

Parent’s email and telephone:

SUPERVISOR CONTRACT

44

III. Process Journal

I, ______________________________, also understand that part of the PERSONAL

PROJECT is written reflection. I agree to keep a process journal (or diary) of my

daily thoughts and plans about my project. I will use this journal to write my

personal statement. I will have my process journal to present to my supervisor by

the next meeting in May.

IV. My plan is to accomplish ____________________(set a goal) by

_________________(set a date).

(The supervisor should keep a copy of this contract)

STUDENT & SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

It is the student’s responsibility to:

1. Meet with your project supervisor and

maintain contact with the supervisor.

2. Keep a detailed process journal.

3. Turn in assignments on time (personal project

abstract, project revisions, process journal,

final project, personal statement).

Turn in the product no later than November 2,

2012: Turn in the first draft of the personal

statement no later than November 20, 2012

and; Turn in the final copy of the personal

statement on January 4, 2013 at an appointed

time with the supervisor that does not

interrupt his or her class.

4. Make an appointment to rehearse your

presentation with your supervisor on or before

December 4, 2012.

The project supervisor will:

1. Meet with you and offer ideas for resources

and research strategies.

45

2. Answer your email responses and return your

phone calls.

3. Read your process journal & personal

statement and offer suggestions.

4. Contact your parents and the coordinator

when you miss meetings or deadlines.

5. Check to make sure your final product and

personal statement meet all IB requirements

for length and format.

6. Check your references in your research and

ensure that you do not submit plagiarized

material.

Your supervisor will not:

Do your thinking for you.

Take over your project and do it for you.

Be happy with you when you miss your

deadlines.

Drop everything for you at the last minute

because you did not plan ahead.

Continue to schedule appointments for you

if you keep missing them.

Accept less than your best efforts.

46

Find

Your

Direction!

Personal Project Proposal1

Name: ______________________ Personal Project Supervisor:__________ Home phone: _________________ Cell phone: _______________________

1. Project description

a) Provide a short, descriptive title for your project. _____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b) Briefly describe your proposed project. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c) What inspired you to choose this topic? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is your main goal for this project? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Adapted from Branksome Hall School

47

How will you measure the success of your project? (Use the list of bulleted specifications from page 19 of your handbook.) My project will be successful if: (See Criterion B)

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Area of Interaction Which area of interaction will you use as your focus, and how do you plan to use it? Choose only one area of interaction.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Resources

a) What is the big question that you aim to answer? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

48

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b) List the Primary and Secondary resources you will need to consult to complete your research (people, community services, electronic and print resources etc). Note: Your list will grow when you do your research!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Process. List and number the steps you will undertake to achieve your goal. Be as specific as you can when detailing the tasks you will need to complete in order to achieve your final results. (This list will grow later!)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

49

5. Briefly describe the format of your Process Journal _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Describe your final product. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Presentation How will you present your product? (Written report, oral presentation,

or multi-media presentation) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What resources do you have to report in this chosen format?

8. Additional comments: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

Student’s signature:_____________________________ Date: __________ Parent’s/Guardian’s signature: _____________________ Date: __________ Supervisor’s signature ___________________________ Date : __________

50

SELF EVALUATION Personal Project

Your Name________________________________________

Title of Personal Project_____________________________

1= Very Poor

2=Mediocre

3=Satisfactory

4=Good

5=Very Good/Excellent

Apply these statements to your Personal Statement: 1 2 3 4 5

On a scale of 1-5, how clearly described was my project goal (including

context and background information) (Criterion B)

On a scale of 1-5, how developed and justified were my link(s) to the

Areas of Interaction? (Criterion B) How well did I explain my

specifications?

On a scale of 1-5, how clearly and coherently did I describe the process

I went through to complete my project? (Criterion A)

On a scale of 1-5, how extensive were my resources in terms of number

and variety of texts and clear references to sources? (Criterion C)

On a scale of 1-5, how well did I justify the techniques (methods) I

used to achieve the goal of my project? (Criterion D)

On a scale of 1-5, how deeply did I reflect and analyze the links to AOI,

the evidence from my research, and my personal involvement in this

project? (Criterion F)

On a scale of 1-5, how organized was my Personal Statement? Was it

written in a logical order with transitions? Was it bound with

appropriate cover pages and bibliography? (Criterion G)

On a scale of 1-5, how thorough and consistent was your analysis of the

goal of your project? Did you reflect on each stage of the project?

(Criterion D)

On a scale of 1-5, how thoroughly did your Personal Project reflect your

analysis of an AOI? (Criterion F)

On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate your oral presentation of your

project to classmates?

On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate your attitude, autonomy,

attention to detail, attention to deadlines, and responsibility with your

process journal over the past year? (Criterion E)

Total your score and put the number in the box at the top of the page.

SCORE

51

PEER EVALUATION Personal Project Presentations

Your Name________________________________________

Name of Student Presenter ___________________________

Title of Personal Project_____________________________

1= Very Poor

2=Mediocre

3=Satisfactory

4=Good

5=Very Good/Excellent

1 2 3 4 5

The student clearly stated the title, topic and purpose of his/her project

The student explained the goal of his/her project

The student described how he/she achieved the goal (i.e. methods and

materials used)

The student explained which AOI’s he/she used and how they

connected to his/her topic

The student explained how the project was meaningful to him or her

(i.e. how it was a “personal” project)

The student explained the obstacles he/she faced in the process

The student explained what he/she learned from the research process

The student explained what he/she would do differently next time

The student was prepared for the presentation with a visual or excerpt

from his/her project to show to the class

The student spoke loudly and clearly using good presentation skills

On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate this student’s oral presentation

of his/her project?

Please total the score and put it in the box at the top of the page.

COMMENTS: Please tell the student what he/she did well and make one suggestion for

improvement.

SCORE

52

TIPS FOR EARNING AN “A” ON YOUR PROJECT:

The emphasis of the Personal Project is THE PROCESS you go through to complete your project.

You are graded on your reflection of the process in your Personal Statement.

Your “product” is important, but your Personal Statement is what

you are actually graded on. Keeping a process journal will help you write your Personal

Statement about the process and decisions you make along the way. You must turn in your process journal.

Wikepedia is not an acceptable resource for scholarly research.

Use the “Guide to Writing the Personal Statement” at the end of this handbook. Use the grading criterion (pages 29-35) to grade

the paper yourself. Take pictures of all the stages of your project to include in the

appendix of your paper. You must have a “Works Cited” page and internal citations within

the paper.

Back up electronic copies of your process journal, research notes, photos, or any other electronic files. It is also a good idea to

periodically email these to your supervisor. The excuse (or very real tragedy) of “My laptop died,” will not help when you are trying to make a deadline. Plan ahead and avoid those pitfalls.

THE MOST IMPOTANT PART OF THE PROCESS IS MEETING WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR ON A REGULAR BASIS AND DOCUMENTING IT IN YOUR PROCESS JOURNAL.

53

Guide to Writing Your Personal Statement

Definition of personal statement: A reflection on the evaluation of the links you established to the areas of interactions, the process you followed to prepare your final product and the overall success of your project in terms of your initial goals. Your personal statement will be the main focus of the marking and moderation processes. If you have maintained a thorough process journal, most of the ideas of your statement come from the process journal. Importantly, the focus of your personal statement is your evaluation of the process you followed and the significant links you have made to the areas of interaction. Use the criteria provided in your personal project booklet as a guide when writing your statement. The areas of interaction: Your personal statement is both a reflective and personal piece of writing that represents the culmination of your project and your work in the areas of interaction. It is important that the links to the area of interaction you have chosen are seen as the focus of your personal statement. This means that you do NOT deal with the area of interaction superficially in one paragraph. Instead, you need to make the links to the area of interaction explicit throughout your statement. Use the links to the area of interaction as the organizing device for the piece. For example, when outlining your goals frame them in terms of the area of interaction (see example below under “How do I write my personal statement?”). You need to use the right terminology for the area of interaction (i.e. Environments not environment or Human Ingenuity not homo faber).

How do I write my personal statement? Your personal statement can be written in the first person. However, you must follow the structure outlined below which is designed to help you address the criteria. You need to organize your personal statement under the subheadings provided. These subheadings are numbered. Do not use the bullet points as headings! You must use complete sentences and paragraphs. Remember: this is a personal statement. It is ok if you ‘speak from the heart’ and explore the personal reasons why you chose the personal challenges you encountered and the personal growth that resulted from the experience. The teachers, who will be marking your project, and the moderators at the IBO, want to see evidence of your personal engagement.

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Guide to Writing the Report

Personal Project

2012-2013

Format of a Written Report

The report must include these items: title page, table of contents, body of the report, a

bibliography or reference list, and appendices. All should be in MLA format.

The title page must include:

Student name

Title of the project

Word count (Reports must be a minimum of 1,500 words and a maximum of 3,500

words).

School name

Date

The body of the report should be structured around the objectives and assessment criteria and

must include the following sections:

The goal (criterion B)

Selection of Sources (Criterion C)

Application of Information (criterion D)

Achieving the Goal (Criterion E)

Reflection on Learning (Criterion F)


To help you with the content for each of the sections, answer the questions below in paragraph

form.

The Goal

What did you set out to do?

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What is your topic and why does it interest you? What personal connections do you have with

this project?

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What area of interaction did you choose? Why was this choice the best for your particular

project?

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Include an outline of a clear, achievable, challenging goal. How will you accomplish this goal?

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What specifications will you use to measure your success in reaching the goal? (Include a

bulleted list)

Selection of Sources

What did you need to know in order to get started?

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How did you find the necessary information?

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What information did you discover about your topic?

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What sources did you use? Books, media, people, etc. What did you learn from these varied

sources?

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Include citations within the body of your report and also include a works cited page.

Application of Information

How did you use the information from your research to apply to your outline to reach your goal?

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What decisions did you make based on information gained from your research?

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How did information obtained by research influence your steps in the process of completing

your project?

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How did the research change your thinking and help you solve problems?

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Achieving the Goal

How well did you reach your goal? Use your list of specifications to evaluate the outcome.

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Using the rubric for criterion E and your evaluation of the specifications, give yourself a score.

What justification can you provide for that score?

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Reflection on Learning

Reflect on how completing the project has extended your knowledge and understanding of the

topic and the focus of the area of interaction.

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How have you developed as a learner by completing the project?

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How has completing the project changed you?

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Conclusion

How can you summarize your experiences completing the project?

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Bibliography / Works Cited

Include your sources in MLA format.

Did you include parenthetical citations within the body of your paper?

Appendix

What additional information is useful for your reader to know and gives support to your project?

(Notes, photographs, documented interviews, etc.)

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